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W. B. UNDERWOOD.

STERILIZER.

APPLICATION FILED N0v.29,1916.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

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WEEDEN B. UNDERWOOD, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WILMOT CASTLE COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STERILIZER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. "3, 1319,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WEEDEN B. UNDER- woon, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sterilizers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to sterilizers for sterilizing the instruments ofphysicians. surgeons and dentists, or for sterilizing any other suitable devices, an object of this invention being to provide a means for opening the cover and supporting the same in an open position with the handle operating part so mounted that it may be readily operated by the arm without exposing any part of the body of the user to the steam issuing from the sterilizer as the cover is opened. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved connection between the cover and the instrument or draining tray, requiring but few parts, and necessitating but a slight movement of the tray in moving from its lowermost to its uppermost position, so that a sterilizing receptacle of minimum depth may be used for a tray of a given width.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the sterilizer with the cover or top closed, the tray being shown in dotted lines resting on the bottom of the sterilizing chamber;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the cover open and the tray in its elevated position;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the sterilizer with the cover open and partially broken away;

- Fig. 4 is a section on the line a-a, Fig. 3, showing the cover closed; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the hinge. I

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the receptacle forming the sterilizing chamber'which is heated in any suitable manner. To this receptacle, a cover 2 is hinged preferably by forming a bead 3 around the upper edge of the receptacle with a rod 4 inclosed therein and surrounded by a strap 5 which is bent intermediately of its ends about the rod 4 and has its ends secured to the flange 6 which depends from the cover 2 within the sterilizing chamber 1, the ends of the strap serving to cover the opening 7 which is formed by cutting away the tubing or bead 3 in order to expose the rod -4, thereby preventing the escape of steam, by way of the opening, from the wall of the sterilizing chamber 1, so that v the movement of said extension 13 to open the closure of the cover 2 is downward and the handle extension 13 thereby lies below the top of the sterilizing chamber 1 when the closure 2 is open. This arrangement of the handle extension permits the cover to be opened by the forearm of the user of the sterilizer,'this making it unnecessary for such user to handle the unsterilized extension 13 before touching the instruments in the tray. Furthermore, the steam escaping upon the opening of the cover does not come in contact with that portion of the body which effects the opening of the cover. The end of the link 9 is bifurcated at the pivot 10 while the adjacent end of the link i 8 has an extension 14 operating in this bifurcation to contact with the base wall thereof when the pivot 10 has moved slightly beyond the center line between the pivots 11 and 12, whereby the links 8 and 9 serve as a locking device for holding the cover open.

A novel connection is'provided between the cover 2 and an instrument or draining tray 15 which operates within the sterilizing chamber 1. This connection is such that a sterilizing chamber of minimum depth may be employed with a tray of a given width. A lost motion is provided which will permit a movement of the cover during the first part of the opening and the latter part of the closing movement without producin any movement in the tray. In this embodiment, this connection comprises two arms 16 extending downwardly and forwardly from the cover 2 near the hinge of the latter, tli'l having upwardly-opening hooks 17 at tlrr free ends for engagement with downwardlyopening hooks 18 at opposite ends of the instrument or draining tray 15.

When the cover is closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the hooks or engaging portions of the arms 16 lie to one side of and below the hooks 18. During the first part of the opening movement of the cover the hooks- 17 move upwardly and forwardly toward the hooks 18 to cooperate with the latter, and after such cooperation the tray 15 is elevated, but not carried out of the top of the sterilizing chamber 1. Although each of the hooks 17 swings in an arc of a circle, only that portion of its movement which is substantially vertical is utilized for lifting the tray 15, and the latter, by cooperation with the walls of the sterilizing chamber, is held to a vertical movement.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a sterilizer, a sterilizing chamber, a tray resting oIr the bottom of the chamber and having ortions at opposite ends substantially midway between its sides, a hinged 'cover, and devices depending from the cover and having portions which, when the, cover is closed, lie out of contact with, below and on the rear side of the portions on the tray and are carried by the. cover into contact with the portions at the end of the tray to lift thelatter in the chamber as the cover is opened, and cover opening means constructed to hold the cover in an open position where the tray cooperates with the side walls of the sterilizing chamber to hold said tray against swinging.

2. In a sterilizer, a sterilizing chamber, a tray adapted to rest upon the bottom of the sterilizing chamber, a bin ed cover for the chamber, open hooks on t e draining tray, and arms carried by the cover near the hinge of the latter and extending downwardly and forwardly, said arms having hooks at their free end lying out of contact with, below and on the rear side of the hooks on the tray while the cover is closed but entering .into contact with the hooks on the tray when the cover reaches a certain position in opening so that the tray is elevated in opening the cover, and cover opening means constructed to hold the cover in an open position where the tray cooperates with the side walls of the sterilizing chamber to hold said tray against swingm 3. In a sterilizer, a sterilizing cham er, a tray guided vertically by the-walls of the chamber, anda cover for the chamber having a lost motion connection with the tray to raise and lower the tray within the chamber without removing the tray from the chamber, said connection permitting the cover to move without moving the tray as the cover begms lts openmg movement or completes its closing movement, and cover openmg means constructed to hold the cover 1n an open pos1t1on where the tray cooperates with the side walls of the sterilizing chamber to hold said tray against swinging. 4:. In a sterilizer, a sterilizing chamber, a

tray adapted-to rest upon the bottom of the sterilizing chamber, a hinged cover for the chamber, devices carried by the cover nd lying vout of connection with the tray w n the cover is closed, said devices cooperating with the tray to elevate the latter after the cover in opening has passed a certain po-v sition, and cover opening means constructed to hold said cover in an open position where the tray cooperates with the side walls of the chamber to be held against swinging.

WEEDEN B. UNDERWOOD, 

